Crossroads
by fictionette1
Summary: Ivy tried to run from her father's mistakes, but they have finally caught up to her and she is forced into servitude by the demon king himself. Will her new life slowly eat away at her soul, or will she find solace and hope in a demon hunter? [Dean/OC]
1. Chapter 1 - The Deal

Hello, everyone! Welcome to my first published story! I've written so many fanfics, but this is the first on I've had the courage to post. I don't own anyone except my OC. Enjoy!

"You can't run forever, darling." The voice came from behind her. Ivy ran as fast as she could, even though she knew it to be useless. He would catch her, no doubt about it. "Ivyyyy." He called out in a sing-song voice. She could no longer tell where it was coming from and in a panic, she stopped in an alleyway, her head on a swivel as she waited for him to appear.

Her heart was pounding in her ears and it was drowning out all the other noises of the city. The only other thing she could hear in that moment was her own breath, coming in short, ragged gulps. She couldn't see very well in the dim light of the alley, and for a moment she dared to hope that she had gotten away, or he had given up. But, there is no way he would give up. As Ivy felt her heartbeat finally begin to settle back into its steady rhythm, she heard a faint noise of shoes on pavement. Before she could turn to see where it had come from, she was thrown back against the brick wall of the alley. Her head hit the wall first, and made a sickening cracking noise before she crumpled to the ground.

"There you are, sweetheart." Came a rough voice from above her. Ivy slowly opened her eyes and looked up into the face of her tormentor. He picked her up off the ground and held her there against the wall with his hands pinning her arms above her. "I take it you know who I am?" He asked with a smirk.

Ivy's head pounded, but she managed to nod. "You're Crowley." She said softly. A grin spread across his features as he held fast.

"Oh, good. So you got my message!" He stated happily. Ivy glanced down, remembering what that hellhound had done to her. She was sure she was going to die that night, but it turned out that the beast was just a friendly reminder of her fate. She winced when she thought of the searing pain the invisible dog had left her with. Her back had not yet healed from that encounter. "Surely you knew you couldn't hide from me." He said deviously.

She looked up at him pleadingly. "I'm not the one who made the deal! How can you do this?" Her eyes stung with tears as she felt all hope draining out of her.

"Someone has to pay the piper, sweetie." He said softly into her ear, causing a shiver to run down her spine. "Your father made a deal with me and yet he somehow managed to wriggle his way out of it and die with his soul intact. So, it falls to his next of kin." He smiled. "You."

"No, no please!" Ivy begged. She felt as if her legs were going to collapse beneath her. "I'll do anything!"

"What could you possibly offer me?" He sneered. "I already own your soul."

Grasping at straws, Ivy blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "My servitude!" Crowley laughed cruelly and then grabbed Ivy's throat in a vice grip.

"You've got spunk, kid. I'll give you that. But, honestly, what would I do with such a scrawny thing like you?" Crowley squeezed her neck a little and Ivy's face began turning a very unhealthy shade of red. She choked and sputtered under his grip and Crowley was about to end her misery (for the moment) when an idea crossed his mind. A sly grin spread across his face as he mentally patted himself in the back for coming up with such a devious plan.

Crowley released her and she gasped for air. "Tell you what, darling," he began, "I'll cut you a deal." Ivy looked up in bewilderment. "You work for me and I'll let you keep your soul AND your pathetic little life." This only served to make the girl even more confused.

"Why would you do that?" She asked in a quiet and hoarse voice.

"Chock it up to my high morals and compassion for the innocent." He said. "There is a catch, however." He held up his finger for emphasis.

"Of course there is. You're a demon..." She replied sourly.

"The catch is, you have to work for me..." He paused and narrowed his eyes at her. "...as a crossroads demon."

Ivy gaped at him in surprise and confusion. "What does that mean?"

"It means, you little twit, that I want you to make deals with humans for their souls." He stared down at her, assessing her reaction. Ivy still wasn't sure why he was even giving her this option. Was he just toying with her? Was he lying? "Tick, tock, sweetheart." He said, interrupting her thoughts.

She grimaced. What other choice did she have? It was either, die and go to hell, or become a slave to a demon. She wasn't sure which was worse. But, holding onto her soul sounded like the better deal. She nodded slowly. "Okay, I'll do it." She held out her hand to shake on it.

He smiled and grabbed her hand, pulling her into his chest and wrapping his arm around her waist. "I always seal the deal with a kiss." He said huskily as he lifted her chin up with his fingers. She shivered and swallowed hard before closing her eyes and leaning into him. His lips met hers and she was surprised to find that they were warm. She tried not to think about what she was doing or what she had just agreed to become. It was too much for her right now. Her free will was gone and in essence, her life was over.

Crowley's hands reached down to grab her wrists as his mouth moved against her. She felt like maybe this was a bit above and beyond what he normally did when 'sealing a deal'. Just as she thought that, she was shoved roughly up against the brick wall again. She hissed in pain as she felt her head throb and, then, suddenly her wrists started to burn. She pulled her face away from him and looked at her arms where he held them against the wall. His hands glowed bright red and she could feel her flesh searing beneath them. Ivy started to scream, but then Crowley let go of her and the pain was gone. She looked at her wrists and found that she had metal cuffs on each of them.

"What are these?" She asked. Crowley smirked and snapped his fingers. The cuffs glowed bright red and in the middle there appeared a red chain connecting the two cuffs. They were shackles. Crowley snapped his fingers again and the chain disappeared, as did the glowing. Ivy's head dropped when Crowley grabbed her forcefully and pulled her to him.

"You're mine now, sweetheart."


	2. Chapter 2 - Loathing

Back again! Sorry this chapter took so long, but working full time leaves me with little time to update. Hope you enjoy this second installment and I hope there are no mistakes. Enjoy! (I own nothing but my OC)

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Several months later...

The anguish and self loathing that Ivy felt was tangible. She had only been on the job for a few months, and had barely made any deals, but she hated herself. Crowley was riding her hard, angry that she was turning potential customers away instead of making deals. Some people she tried to persuade to not make deals with her, but some just would not listen. If only they knew what was in store for them, maybe they wouldn't willingly throw their lives away.

Besides loathing herself, she began to loathe humans as well. She wasn't human anymore, she knew that. But, she wasn't a demon either. She was stuck somewhere in the middle. But still, she hated seeing a young man or woman, willing to toss away their lives over such trivial things like money or fame. While they gambled everything away, she was left mourning everything that had been taken from her. Her life, her potential, any and all future happiness...all of it. Gone. Out of all the wretched humans in the world, there was one that she hated most.

Her father.

If it wasn't for his selfishness, his complete disregard for the safety of his only child, she wouldn't be in this mess. She still had no idea where he was or what he had made a deal for. Ivy was convinced that it was meaningless, however. What could be worth your own life? Or in this case, her life.

Ivy was sitting alone in the darkness. That is where she preferred to be. Somewhere dark and secluded so that she wouldn't have to see the ugliness of mankind, or the horrors of hell, or Crowley. Heaving a deep sigh, Ivy buried her face in her hands and tried to clear her mind. Being left alone with her own thoughts was never a good thing. She felt a strange tug in the pit of her stomach and groaned.

"Where have you been?" Came a familiar, gruff voice. Ivy lifted her head and checked her surroundings. She had been teleported to a lavish office, with a large mahogany desk and book-lined shelves across every wall. Standing behind the desk was her constant tormentor and owner of said gruff voice-Crowley, the King of fucking Hell.

With a sneer, Ivy looked at the King and said, "Out."

"Out? Who the hell told you you could go out?" Crowley snarled. Her face did not change from the expression of complete indifference. She merely folded her arms across her chest and stared at the demon. "You're really testing my patience, darling. And I do not appreciate your new found snarky attitude. You. Are. Mine." He shouted. "Show some respect!"

Ivy's resolve faltered, uncertainty showing on her face. Her arms dropped to her sides in defeat. She couldn't do anything even if she wanted to. Why make it harder on herself? Knowing when to give up was always something she knew how to do. It pained her to do so, but she was also blessed with a realist's point of view. She knew nothing about killing people or demons, she had no friends or family to help her, she wasn't strong or particularly bright. She was just Ivy. And now she belonged to Crowley.

"I'm sorry." She managed to say in a small voice. She felt small. She felt worthless. But, mostly she felt violated. All of her rights taken away in the blink of an eye. Crowley seemed slightly surprised that she had give in so easily, but he tried not to show it.

"'I'm sorry', what?" He pushed her further, attempting to crumble her already broken spirit into even tinier pieces. Her jaw and fists visibly clenched.

"I'm sorry, sir." She said through gritted teeth. Crowley was about to scold her further, but she suddenly vanished. He threw his arms up in exasperation. He had just found the little wench and now she was gone again. However, this time she was called away on business.

"I'll finish with you later then, darling."

* * *

Ivy felt the familiar tug in her abdomen again and immediately her surroundings were different. Before her was nothing but trees and a narrow gravel road. Beyond that was dark. The only light she could see was coming from a small flashlight being held by a dark figure. The light darted around as the figure turned in a circle, obviously searching for her.

Slowly walking closer, being careful to make as little noise as possible, Ivy could see the man more clearly. He had short brown hair, stubble, strong jaw, green eyes, and he seemed well muscled. He seemed different from her average customer and she wondered what he could possibly want that meant more to him than his own life. She frowned in disgust. She wanted to turn away and leave, but she couldn't. As much as she hated it, being here was better than being with Crowley. The man turned towards her direction and called out. She slowly made her way toward him, being careful in case the man was a hunter.

"Hello," she said, stepping into the light of his flashlight.

"What can I do for you..." Ivy mentally scanned the man and realized just who she had been summoned by. "Dean Winchester."

"So you know who I am?" He asked, his stance decidedly defensive, as if he thought she might attack him on the spot. She merely nodded. "I've come to make a deal."

"Clearly. But, what I don't understand is why a famous hunter like you would be making deals with devils." She folded her arms across her chest. She was definitely curious, but she also knew that he could be tricking her. Crowley had warned her about this kind of thing. She also knew that, despite her being a crossroads demon, she could still die.

He was eyeing her suspiciously and seemed to be contemplating something. "I need to save my brother." He said, clenching his fists tightly. He clearly hated this just as much as she did. Ivy looked at him in complete astonishment. This was the first time she encountered someone who wanted to make a deal for someone rather than themselves. Unable to speak, she just stared at him, forgetting why she was there. "Well, do you want to make a deal or not?" He said angrily.

Ivy snapped out of her daze and stepped closer to him. "No, you don't want to do this." She said to him. "Just spend what time you have left with your brother and let him go. It's not worth being damed for all eternity." Dean stared at her in disbelief. A crossroads demon was actually trying to talk him out of making a deal.

"Well, that's a new one." He said. "But, that doesn't change anything." He grabbed Ivy's arm and yanked her to him. He was a lot stronger than she thought and she stumbled into his embrace easily. "Ten years, right? Come on, let's seal the deal." He leaned towards her and Ivy instinctively leaned back.

"What the hell are you doing?" She cried out. She pushed against his chest, but he had a firm grip on her waist. "No means no, Dean. This is demon rape!" Dean was struggling to hold onto her as she flailed and shoved him with all her might. But then, Ivy heard the crunch of footsteps on the road behind her and before she could turn to see who it was, she felt a stinging sensation on the back of her head, and everything was black.


	3. Chapter 3 - Interrogation

_Hello everyone, I'm back with chapter 3! I had a hit of inspiration and I went with it. I wanted to thank all of you who followed, favorited and made such nice and encouraging comments. Without you, I probably wouldn't have bothered to continue. So, I sincerely thank you. Enjoy and look out for my next chapter (which I have already started writing) soon. [Disclaimer: I own nothing my my OC]_

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Chapter 3 - Interrogation

Ivy felt cold, both inside and out. She felt her body tense and she tried to move, but something was holding her fast. Was she paralyzed? No, she could still feel her limbs, she just couldn't move them. She cracked open an eye, but saw nothing but black. She lifted her heavy head and opened her eyes completely.

She was tied to a chair, in a dark room and a dim light shone above her head. Looking down, she could see a red devil's trap. Dammit, what happened? Then she remembered. The Winchesters.

A loud, metallic clang interrupted her thoughts and suddenly the wall in front of her opened up, revealing two dark figures. Two dark figures holding weapons. Ivy's body tensed reflexively. The men approached her and as they entered the light, Ivy recognized the shorter man as Dean. The taller one must be his brother, Sam. They both looked menacingly at her.

Dean spoke first. "What the hell are you?" Ivy didn't quite understand his question at first, but then he elaborated. "The trap holds you, but the demon blade and holy water don't work. So, my question is: what the hell kind of demon are you?" Dean strode closer to her as he spoke and Ivy watched the weapon in his hand carefully.

"I'm not sure." Ivy replied meekly. She knew if she tried to reveal anything about her situation that the cuffs on her wrists would burn her severely. She didn't want that.

"You're not sure?" Sam said in disbelief. "Come on, Dean. She's lying." Dean glanced at his brother and then back at her. Dean's grip on his blade slackened as he seemed to be contemplating the strange girl in front of him.

"Do you work for Crowley?" Dean asked calmly.

"Not by choice." Ivy answered. Her eyes darted down to the iron cuffs around her wrists and Dean's eyes filled her gaze.

"So you're not a demon?" He asked in confusion. His hands reached down to touch the shackles and before Ivy could stop him, the cuffs glowed bright red, searing Ivy's flesh. She screamed in pain, and Dean jerked back in alarm. The smell of burning flesh wafted into his nose as he stared at what was happening. Ivy stopped screaming and the cuffs returned to their normal grey color. Her clenched fists relaxed slightly as she held back her tears of agony.

"Please," she whispered. "Please don't touch those." Dean almost looked apologetic, but Sam spoke up, wiping the look off of his brother's face.

"What are those? Is Crowley controlling you somehow?" Sam approached the chair Ivy sat in. Ivy squeezed her eyes shut. She knew if she spoke about it, she would be burned again.

She debated with herself for a few moments and then spoke, "Can you help me?" Her eyes looked into Dean's pleadingly. "Because if you can't, we have nothing else to talk about." Dean leaned down and placed a hand on either side of her chair.

"We can't help if you don't tell us what you are."

"I'm not a demon!" She cried in exasperation. "Crowley put these cuffs-" Ivy was cut off by the searing pain in her wrists again. She hissed and threw her head back as her hands gripped the chair. The burning lasted longer this time and it took all of her might to not scream again. When it stopped, her head stayed leaned back and she stared into the darkness above her. "Please," she said quietly. "Just kill me if that's what you're going to do."

Dean stood up and grabbed his brother's arm, hauling him out the door and closing it behind them. Ivy didn't move, she just sat there and silently wept.

Outside, Sam spoke, "Something doesn't feel right about this. She's hiding something."

"Of course she is, Sammy. You saw what happened when she tried to tell us about the cuffs. I think she's a human." Dean said. "What I don't get is why Crowley wants her." Sam didn't have an answer for that either. "First things first. We have to get those cuffs off of her somehow. Otherwise, we won't get anything out of her."

"You think Cas could help?"

"It's worth a shot." Dean replied.

* * *

Ivy had fallen asleep, though she's not sure how. Sleep was rare for her nowadays. Lifting her head she took a look around and the memory of where she was came flooding back. Her wrists hurt badly, and her body felt stiff from sitting in the chair for what seemed like days.

A creak caught her attention and soon the door opened before her, revealing a new face. The man strode forward and came into view. He had short black hair, blue eyes and a very serious, yet strange demeanor. Ivy tilted her head to the side. "Are you an angel?" She asked curiously.

Slightly taken aback, the man's face changed from serious to surprised. "How did you know?" His voice was deep, but it wasn't scary. He seemed genuinely surprised and maybe a little intrigued.

"I can see your halo." She remarked. The man quirked an eyebrow at her.

"What is your name?" He asked.

"Ivy."

"Ivy," the man considered for a moment. "Sam and Dean told me you were a demon," and then in air quotes he said, "thing." He put a hand to her forehead and closed his eyes. "You're not a demon. But, you're not a human either."

"What am I then?" Ivy asked.

"It seems as if a demon imbued you with some demon abilities and it has made you some sort of human/demon hybrid. How odd."

Ivy scoffed, "Yeah my life has been pretty odd these last few months." She smiled sadly, remembering how different things were for her not so long ago. She desperately wished she didn't know about demons and angels.

"What does your expression mean?" The angel quarried. Ivy looked up at him in confusion.

"I-I um...I'm just sad, I guess." She replied. "I don't want to be here. I'm tired and..." She paused. "And why am I telling you all this? You probably came here to torture me."

Cas frowned deeply. "I have not come to torture you." He reached down and touched Ivy's hand, holding it in his own. Ivy was about to ask him what he was doing, but then his hand lit up with a bright bluish light. It felt as if her body was being covered in a soft wave of cool water. Her burnt wrists no longer hurt and the cuts and scrapes she had received recently faded away. She looked up at him in astonishment. After hearing nothing but slander about angels from Crowley. She did not think she would ever meet one who was kind. "I want to help you." He said when he was done. Ivy felt her eyes sting with tears at his kind words. She had not been shown any in quite some time.

"What is your name?" She asked.

"Castiel."

"Thank you, Castiel. But, I'm not sure you can help me."

"Sam and Dean do not trust you, but I can see beyond your exterior." He said suddenly. "I can see that you have a good heart. I think you are a victim in all this and I want to do all I can to help you. Will you allow me to do that?" He asked. Ivy looked into his eyes and she could tell he was being sincere. She didn't know what Crowley would do to her if he ever got her back, but what did she have to lose?

She nodded. "Yes."

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_Let me know what you think. I'm open to suggestions as to where the story should go or any advice about writing you may have! Don't be shy! That's my job! *nervous laugh* Okay, I'm going to go now. Thanks for reading._


	4. Chapter 4 - Faith and Trust

_**Hello again, everyone! I'm churning out chapters pretty quickly over here. I would wait to post each chapter, but I'm too impatient. but, when I hit a road block, I hope you'll all be patient with me! I have a few ideas as to where I'm headed with this story, but if anyone has any suggestions, I would be happy to hear them. Enjoy chapter 4! [Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OC]**_

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Sam and Dean poured over all the books in the library on the subject of demons. There were thousands, so they anticipated a long night. Cas had been working all the angel tricks he knew, but nothing was working. Those damn cuffs just weren't coming off. Ivy had been burned and healed a few more times since they had started and she was currently resting in Dean's room.

"Maybe we should call it a night." Sam said, closing his tome. "It's not like Crowley can get to her while she's here." Dean sighed deeply and shut his book as well.

"Yeah, you're right." Dean conceded. He leaned back in his chair, and looked to his brother. "What's so special about this girl? Why does Crowley want her so badly? He's had his goons after us ever since we captured her."

Sam shrugged. "Maybe because she's rare. He's created a new breed. Maybe he can't do it again."

"Yeah, but if she's so special, why have her working the crossroads?"

"Have you seen her, Dean? She's not exactly a formidable opponent." Sam scoffed. "She's been through a lot though. It must have been rough." Dean nodded solemnly.

"He could be conditioning her." Dean suggested, but he didn't elaborate his idea.

"Hi." Sam and Dean both jumped at the sudden noise. They turned and saw Ivy standing in the doorway. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." She was standing there in one of Dean's white shirts and a pair of his sleep shorts. Dean noticed for the first time how small she looked. His shirt was big on her, but the shorts fit her well. She had this look about her that made her seem so...breakable.

"How are you feeling?" Sam asked.

She stepped into the room and Dean saw that she was barefoot. Her steps were short and delicate, and he watched her with interest.

"Better." She replied, pushing a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear. "Thank you for the clothes." She said, looking at Dean. He nodded and turned back to his book, opening it again. "Is there anything I can do to help?" She asked, this time looking at Sam. He didn't respond at first and by the look on his face, Ivy got the feeling he still didn't really trust her.

Standing up from the table, Sam glanced at Dean and then to her. "We were actually about to call it a night." He said. He gathered his things and walked out of the room, not looking back. Ivy heaved a sigh and sat down a few chairs down from Dean, idly flipping through the pages of an old book.

"Don't take it too personal." Dean said, taking a sidelong look at her. She looked up at him, and the pain was evident on her face. Sam was right, she had been through a lot. "Don't worry. We will find a way to get those off of you." He gestured towards her cuffs and she smiled. It wasn't a real smile though. It was a smile that said, 'I know better than to even hope for a good outcome, but thanks for the kind sentiments'. She looked as if she knew she was going to die soon, and she accepted it.

"Is Castiel here?" She asked. Dean shook his head.

"He's off somewhere trying to find a way to get you out of those handcuffs." He replied. Ivy rubbed her arm and looked away. She wasn't sure if Dean trusted her either. Her chest felt heavy and she just wanted someone to talk to, someone who wanted to talk to her. Feeling awkward, she stood up and was going to leave, when Dean stopped her.

"I'm sorry I tried to kiss you." He said. She turned to look at him and his face had a big cheesy grin on it. Not expecting it, she burst out laughing and quickly covered her mouth with her hand. Dean continued to grin, taking pleasure in the fact that he made her smile genuinely. She looked nice when she smiled. Dean cleared his throat and stood. "I guess I'm going to call it a night as well. You can stay in my room."

"Where are you going to sleep?" She asked, following him as he walking into another room. She watched him kick off his boots, and then fling himself onto a couch. He looked back at her and grinned. Ivy shook her head and laughed softly.

"Thank you." Ivy said, another genuine smile gracing her lips.

Dean shook his head, "Don't mention it. I've slept on many couches in my time." He put his arms behind his head.

"No, I mean, thank you for helping me. And for being kind to me when you had no reason to." She felt her cheeks warm up and she looked down at her feet shyly. "It means a lot to me."

Dean sat upright on the couch and leaned over his knees. "I know we haven't been very accommodating to you though. Tying you up, keeping you in the basement...burning you."

"You didn't know." Ivy interjected, but Dean continued.

"Sammy and I haven't had the best track record with demons." He paused. "Or women." He rubbed the back of his head and then continued, "But, we're going to help you. One way or another. I do have one question though."

"What is it?" Ivy asked a little nervously.

"How did you get involved with Crowley in the first place?"

Ivy didn't quite know how to answer that. She knew that he had a right to know, but even she didn't know the full story. "I'm not sure. But, it has a lot to do with my father." She stopped for a moment, trying to think of what to say next. Dean patted the spot next to him on the couch and she meekly went over and sat next to him. But, not too close. "My father made a deal with Crowley. Since he disappeared when I was young, I couldn't tell you what it was for. He left me on my own, but I didn't mind much since he was mean to me." Ivy clenched her fists in her lap, recalling all the horrible things her father did to her. "I was on my own until one day a few months ago, I was attacked by a hellhound. He clawed me up pretty good. Left a scar." She closed her eyes as she remembered the terrible ripping sounds and the blood that had been pooling on the ground. Her blood. "Then Crowley showed up and told me that I owed him my soul, because my father somehow skipped out on his deal."

"And then he made a deal with you." Dean interjected, and Ivy nodded.

"He said I could live and keep my soul if I worked for him. But it's not work, it's slavery." She said sadly. Dean nodded in understanding, and tentatively placed a hand on her shoulder. Ivy flinched slightly at the contact, but didn't shrug him off.

"We'll figure this out and set you free. I promise." Dean said, looking directly into Ivy's forest green eyes.

"I hope so." She said. "But please," she said looking back into his own green eyes pleadingly, " Don't get yourselves hurt on my account. I don't think I could live with myself."

Dean scoffed, "Sammy and I are pros. Don't worry about us." He sounded so sure, but Ivy wasn't convinced. They were going up against the King of Hell.

As Ivy went back to Dean's room, she wondered how she could help Sam and Dean in their fight against Crowley. She lay in Dean's bed, and chided herself for being so weak and useless. All this time she had been stuck in the past, whining over her current position, but she never tried to do anything about it. Even though she wasn't sure she could do anything, it would have been better to try than to sit back and let her life be stolen away.

Now it wasn't up to just her, however. Having help made her feel comforted slightly. She just had to have faith that things would work out.

One way or another, Ivy was going to be free.

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_**There it is! Hope you liked it. Let me know what you thought and look out for chapter 5!**_


	5. Chapter 5 - Plans

_**Welcome back. We are finally going to get to see a teeny bit of fluff between Dean and Ivy. Very tiny. Microscopic. But, it's still early days, and there is still a lot of time. By the way, I meant to mention earlier that while this is not really an AU, it will not reveal any spoilers. A lot of you are probably caught up to season 9, but if you're not, no worries! Okay, enjoy the chapter! **_

_**[Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OC.]**_

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When Cas returned, Ivy was sitting in the study with Sam and Dean, attempting to make herself useful. She had gotten up early that morning and immediately started scouring the stacks upon stacks of books laid out on the table. Ivy was a bit surprised to see the angel again, and her lips turned up into a smile when she saw him.

"I may have found a way to remove your bindings." Cas said in his deep, yet somehow comforting voice. Sam and Dean exchanged looks. "It won't be an easy task."

"When is it ever easy?" Dean retorted, unsurprised. Castiel made no reply, but he glanced over at Ivy, his eyes filled with deep concern. "Well, spit it out."

"The shackles are imbued with Crowley's essence. That is what binds Ivy to him. If she were to leave this bunker, he could easily retrieve her." Cas explained.

"So what do we need to do to break the bond?" Sam asked, getting a bit impatient. The angel was skirting around the issue. Ivy looked at Cas with a tinge of fear in her eyes. She dared not hope that this task would be something they could actually accomplish. Life didn't work that way. What little hope Ivy had started to drain from her in that moment.

"We need Crowley's blood." Cas said grimly.

Ivy's heart dropped. She expected this, but she didn't quite believe it. She felt as if her spirit had been crushed, and despair was all that was left. Castiel didn't look at her. He didn't need to. Her sadness was tangible.

Dean rubbed his eyes and sighed in frustration. "Well, does anyone have a plan?" He asked in a slight mocking tone. His eyes turned to Ivy, who was sitting stock still in her chair, hands in lap, and eyes staring into the void. He could tell she was on the verge of a mental breakdown. Unsure of what to do, Dean tentatively placed a hand on Ivy's shoulder. She stiffened, but only a little, but continued to stare at her lap. Her hair hid her face from view, so he couldn't tell if she was crying or not.

Sam spoke up after seeing his brother's out of character gesture towards the girl, "We could use Ivy as bait. Catch Crowley in a devil's trap." Ivy's head shot up at this, and her eyes looked fearful. "We would be nearby, obviously," Sam elaborated. Dean shot his brother a menacing glance.

"Though it would be very dangerous for her, that does seem like the most logical plan." Castiel said grimly. He looked at Ivy reassuringly and said, "I would be there as well to protect you."

Ivy still looked unsure, and seeing this, Dean decided he needed to help out. "Ivy, look at me." He said softly. She slowly did as she was told, her green eyes looking into his, doubt written all over her face. "We can do this. We've done it before. Besides, we have an angel on our side." He said with a smirk.

"Why?" She asked in confusion. "Why do you want to help me? We barely know each other. Wouldn't it be easier to just kill me?" Ivy wasn't used to being shown any kindness, but despite that, her point was valid. The Winchesters didn't know her. She was a danger to them, and it probably would be easier to just kill her, but Dean couldn't do that. Why didn't she see that they were just trying to do the right thing?

Before Dean could even muster a reply, Castiel stated flatly, "You're an innocent."

"I think what Cas is trying to say is that we're helping you because it's the right thing to do." Sam said. Despite being indifferent to her before, Ivy could see a hint of sincerity in Sam's face. "You don't deserve what happened to you."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound ungrateful." Ivy replied. Sam shook his head and smiled.

"No worries."

"Thank you. All of you." Ivy looked at each of the men in turn. "I'll do whatever I can to help." She said, a small hint of hope in her voice. The three of them smiled at her. "So, where do we start? How will we lure Crowley?"

* * *

Later that evening, after a long discussion that led to nowhere, Ivy was sitting in Dean's room brushing her hair. She had just taken a long overdue shower and she felt relaxed for the first time in...forever. She sat in her night clothes, which still consisted of an oversized shirt and a pair of Dean's sleep shorts. She hadn't gotten any clothes of her own, but she didn't mind. His clothes were comfy and, to be honest, she loved the way they smelled.

She smiled to herself and pushed her long hair to the side so it hung over one shoulder. She thought about going to speak with Dean. It felt nice to finally have someone to talk to about her life, especially since he could relate. Sam and Dean had both had their fair share of tragedy in this life. Just as she was about to get up and find Dean, there was a knock on the door.

She got up and cracked the door open to see the man himself standing before her with a goofy grin on his face.

"Is this a bad time?" He asked, still grinning. "You're not indecent are you?" Ivy stifled her laughter and pulled the door wide open to reveal that she was, in fact, very decent.

"Only when I want to be," she replied under her breath, but she was sure he heard her. He gave her a sidelong glance as he entered the room and plopped himself down on the bed. "So, what's up?" She asked.

"Just felt like talking." He shrugged. "Wanted to see how you were holding up."

"Surprisingly well." Ivy remarked, walking over to the dresser and idly fiddling around with the items upon it. "I feel safe here with you guys. I know it can't last forever, but I'm going to make the best of it while I can."

Dean looked at her sadly. "Why can't it last forever?"

"Nothing ever does, Dean." She said turning to him. "That's life. And I'm glad just to have this little bit of comfort. I can't expect much more than that." She was smiling, but Dean could see her sadness. She was trying to put on a brave face.

"What if I said I wanted it to last?" Dean asked. Ivy stopped what she was doing and looked at him thoughtfully.

"Well, of course...I want it to last too." She said. It wasn't quite what Dean wanted to hear. But, how could he expect her to hear the meaning behind his words if he didn't make it clear to her? Hell, even he wasn't entirely sure what he meant. The question just sort of tumbled out. Dean cleared his throat and rubbed his hands over his knees, trying to think of a way to make her understand what he was thinking, without being a total creep.

"Ivy," Dean started. Ivy watched him, waiting for him to continue. "What I mean is-"

But then, Ivy suddenly screeched and fell to her knees. Dean, shocked at the sound, scrambled to his feet and ran over to her side.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Ivy couldn't answer. Her eyes were closed tightly, tears spilling out of them, her teeth gritted and biting back the screams, though unsuccessfully. Dean looked down in horror to see that her shackles were burning bright red. They looked as if they'd been heated over a fire for hours. The normally invisible, intangible chain that bound her was visible now and it was red and angry looking. He could smell her flesh searing under the cuffs, but he didn't know how to stop it.

There was a fluttering sound and Dean turned to see Cas standing behind them. Ivy was incoherently shouting something through her gritted teeth. All he could make out was 'Stop!' Cas knelt next to her and placed a hand upon her forehead. The blue, angelic light glowed and filled Ivy with relief from the pain. She was quietly sobbing now, still unable to speak clearly. The angry, red shackles soon dulled back to their normal grayish black color.

It was over.

Dean wrapped his arms around the sobbing girl and held her tight. He whispered in her ear that he was sorry, and to his surprise, Ivy leaned into his embrace. Cas stared at her with deep concern.

"Dean, somehow Crowley can still get to her through those shackles." He said, stating what they already feared. Dean looked up into the angel's eyes and was about to say something when he heard Ivy take a deep shuddering breath. He turned his gaze towards her and then scooped her up in his arms, bridal style. He brought her over to his bed and laid her in it. She looked like she wanted to say something, but her breathing was ragged and shallow.

"D-Dean, he-" She stuttered out. Dean pushed back some hair that had fallen in her face.

"Don't talk, it's okay now." He soothed.

"Dean." She muttered again. "He's coming for me."

* * *

_**Oh boy. How right you were, Ivy. Nothing lasts forever. Not even your short reprieve from Crowley. Alright, I'll update again soon. I've just finished chapter 6, and I'm working on 7 as I type this. Things get a little heavy in the next few chapters. In more ways than one. Until next time! **_


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